December 12, 2006
MASON IN MOTION UPDATE
Mid-Month Supplement to the Monthly “Mason in Motion” Newsletter
Mason Area Chamber of Commerce
148 E. Ash Street, Mason, MI 48854
Phone 517-676-1046 - Fax 517-676-8504
ARCHIVE: NOVEMBER M-I-M UPDATE OCTOBER M-I-M UPDATE SEPTEMBER M-I-M UPDATE AUGUST M-I-M UPDATE
Good Morning Mason is Thursday December 14th at 7:30 AM -- Don’t miss Good Morning, Mason! on Thursday, December 14th at the Community Building at the Ingham County Fairgrounds, 700 E. Ash Street, from 7:30-8:15 AM. Members of the MHS Chamber Choir will perform. Admission is $3 and includes a continental breakfast with holiday cinnamon rolls catered by Darrell’s Market with Bestseller’s coffee. Good Morning, Mason! is generously sponsored by Dart Bank and co-sponsored this month by Star Associates for the MHS Choir. A coupon for free admission for anyone who hasn’t been to GMM in over a year was in the last newsletter.
2007 Chamber Officers Elected -- The Chamber Board will have new officers this coming year. Mark Howe of Dart Bank will be president, Joe Dean of the City of Mason will be vice president, Robin King of Independent Bank will be treasurer, and Dan Schlattman of Daniel J. Schlattman CPA PC will be past president. These four officers are Board members and make up the Executive Committee of the Chamber. The 2007 Chamber Board elected their officers for a one-year term that begins on January 1, 2007 and ends on December 31, 2007.
Welcome New Members -- Extend welcome to the following new Chamber members! We have two new members since the December “Mason In Motion” Newsletter was published. Winslow Adjustment Company and Wynsmoor Manor have just joined. Details will be in January’s newsletter.
Mason Holiday Celebration Thanks -- Friday, November 24 was our annual Mason “Hometown U.S.A.” Holiday Celebration. Dart Container Corporation was again the presenting sponsor of the events. The popular evening lighted parade had 21 units – two more than last year. Thanks to Lear Corporation and the Mason Antiques District for our staging area. Thanks to our committee: Lynne Mark, Debbie Cwiertniewicz, Jeff Taylor, Pat Weiler, Mike Hughes, Rick Terrill, Tim McElhone, and Doug Williams. We also strongly encourage YOU to help with next year’s events by volunteering to help on our 2007 Holiday Celebration committee. You can contact us at (517) 676-1046 or at masonchamber@masonchamber.org by e-mail. We thank City of Mason Mayor Leon Clark for his remarks, the Mason High School Santa Band with director Beth Bousfield, and also Doug Williams, our 2006 Citizen of the Year, for lighting the Christmas tree on the Courthouse Square. Santa and Mrs. Claus were very popular this year at the Museum – thanks to the Mason Area Historical Society members. The Living Nativity was presented downtown on the Courthouse Square by Eden United Brethren and Mason Community Church -- and assisted by others in the Mason Ministerial Association. The Cobblestone Events Center in the Mason Antiques District had refreshments and storytelling by Christine McElhone. Marines had Toys for Tots collection stations located both there and downtown. Thanks to all the folks from the American Legion and Marine Corps League who helped with that. American Legion Post #148 members served as our parade marshals. “Mason Moolah” coupons were honored by Bestsellers Bookstore & Coffee Co., Davey’s Basement Music & More, Mason A&W Restaurant, The Trellis, Kean's Store Company, Fink Jewelers, the stores of the Mason Antiques District, and Mason Elevator. Parade entries came from the American Cancer Society, American Legion Post #148, CATA, several units from the City of Mason, Mason Flooring, County Seat Old Car Club, Dart Container Corporation, Granger Container Service, Habitat for Humanity, Mason Lions Club sponsoring the Lion’s Airforce, the Marine Corp League, Mason Area United Way, Mason Fire Department, Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, Michigan Department of Transportation, Ronald Bullen, Tomco Asphalt, Two Men and A Truck, Vision Real Estate, Wynsmoor Manor, and Santa & Mrs. Claus in John & Wilma Causie’s Corvette.
December Mixer Holiday Party Thanks -- On Thursday evening December 7th at the Ingham County Fairgrounds Community Building, we had a great Holiday Party – the Chamber’s biggest mixer event – from 5 to just after 8 PM. We expected about 250 people this year and ended up with about 280. (Last year we had about 265.) We enjoyed the delightful live holiday music from harpist Kelly Yoakam, the wonderful food and beverages from our 13 area restaurants and caterers, door prizes, silent auction, and live auction item values. The committee was led by Jeff Haueter of Mason A&W Restaurant assisted by Patti Davis of GCC Technologies and Robin King of Independent Bank. Other volunteers included Kathy Smith, Jeanie Prince, Karla Spoor, Mary Tressell, Jon Grocki, Tom Botsford, Loretta Farnsworth Jim Hyde, Ron Tatro, Pat Weiler, and many others. The “Taste of Mason” was provided by Mason A&W Restaurant, Eldorado Golf Course, Darb’s Tavern & Eatery, Merindorf Meats, Baja Grille, City Limits Sports Grill, Gordon Food Service, Nairda’s Country Catering, Lawrence’s Westside Deli, Mike’s Firehouse Grill, Mason Jar Pub & Grub, Darrell’s Market, and Bestsellers Books & Coffee Co. Live Auction Sponsors were Eagle Eye Golf Course/Hawk Hollow, Ace Hardware, Tom Bergeon, GCC Technologies, Independent Bank, William Fink Jewelers, Tom Hunt, Becky Beauchine Kulka Diamonds and Fine Jewelry, Eldorado Golf Course, and AT&T. Silent Auction Sponsors were the Trainer’s Studio’s six personal fitness trainers, ServiceMaster Clean, Heb’s Inn, Wendy May, Mason A&W Restaurant, Jim Kennedy, Avery Oil – Dandy Randy, Gordon Food Service, Airbonne – Janet Hucul, Aldrich Floral, Dart Container Corporation, Mark Wolgamott, Dianne’s Dazzling Designs Custom Jewelry, Family Farm and Home, Ware’s Pharmacy, Independent Bank, Caring Touch Therapeutic Massage, Mason Auto Body, Meijer, Kean’s Store Company, Yards of Fabric, Fiedler Insurance, Mason Jewett Field, Jeanie Prince, Mason Elevator, LAFCU, Ace Hardware, and Vision Real Estate. Door Prize Sponsors were Star Associates, Dart Bank, Mason Bowling Center, City Limits Sports Grill, LAFCU, Independent Bank, Glenn Buege Buick/GMC Trucks, Andrews Chevrolet, Wheaton’s Framing and Art Gallery, ServiceMaster Clean, Mason Auto Body, and Jon Jenkins.
Annual Awards Detailed in January’s Mason in Motion Newsletter – The Chamber’s 35th Anniversary Celebration and Annual Awards Dinner will be held the evening of Wednesday, February 7th at the Eldorado Golf Course Banquet Center on W. Howell Road. Plans are being made and notifications of awards are now going out. Once completed, details will be in the January newsletter. Mark your calendar now and make your reservations in January!
Send MHS Choir Members to Carnegie Hall -- The Chamber Choir of Mason High School has been invited to participate in a combined choir performance of Songs of Meditation by Stephen Paulus, accompanied by the New England Symphonic Ensemble and conducted by Dr. Sandra Snow, at Carnegie Hall in New York City, May 26, 2007. Singing in Carnegie Hall and working with Dr. Snow is a tremendous opportunity for the choir. The choir will spend 4 days and nights working with Dr. Snow and the symphonic ensemble. In order for them to participate, they need to raise $31,500. They have been busy with a variety of fundraisers. Some of their singers do not have the economic resources to help fund the cost of the trip and for all this is a big chunk of money. This is a lifetime opportunity and they are asking for community support and financial assistance. They will have a Silent Auction/Dinner/Concert, featuring all of our choir members, on December 20th at the High School. Please consider donating an item, gift card or service from your business. If you are able to make a donation for the Silent Auction please let their director Helen Hansens know by Thursday, December 14th at (517) 676-9055 X 142 or hhansens@mason.k12.mi.us. Please know that they are working hard to generate funds, and, due to the significant amount they need to raise, they really need your help. They’d love to have you attend the December event as well. Tickets are on sale now. Cost is $15 for 12 and older, $10 for under 12. If you are able to make cash contributions to help to sponsor a student we encourage and accept those as well. Your donations are tax deductible.
Another Concert Reminder – As mentioned in December’s newsletter, The Mason Orchestral Society’s Mason Community Orchestra and the Mason Youth Symphony, under the direction of Conductor Nat Parker, will present its annual holiday concert on Friday, December 15th at 7:30 PM in the Mason High School Auditorium. This year’s selections will include holiday music such as Babes in Toyland, Deck the Halls, and The Messiah by Handel. The concert is free and open to the public. The orchestras have musicians from throughout the Mason area. They present four concerts per season. In addition to the holiday concert on December 15, 2006, there will be concerts held on March 4, 2007 and May 4, 2007.
MACC Distributes Fifth E-mail Bulletin – This “Mason in Motion Update” bulletin is being sent to those who have e-mail addresses registered with the Mason Area Chamber of Commerce as Chamber members, associates of Chamber members, and Chamber stakeholders. To be removed from this list, do NOT reply to this e-mail. Instead, please send a new e-mail with the word “unsubscribe” in the subject line to masonchamber@masonchamber.org.
Chamber Committee Meetings -- The Hometown USA will meet at 11 AM on Tuesday, December 19th. The Economic Development Committee will meet on Thursday, December 21st at 8 AM and the Membership Services Committee will meet on that same Thursday morning right after them at 9:30 AM. All meetings are in the Chamber office.
Office and Other Reminders – The Chamber office will be closed on Friday, December 22nd and Monday, December 25th. The Chamber office will also be closed on Friday, December 29th and Monday, January 1, 2007. (Our normal hours are 9 to 3, Monday through Friday.) The Executive Committee meeting for January will be on Wednesday, January 3, 2007 at 9:30 AM and the Board of Directors meeting for January will be on Friday, January 5, 2007 at 7:30 AM. Both meetings are in the Chamber office.
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